Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
J.D. Vance reveals why he was running funny
Vice President J.D. Vance finally dishes details on a viral video where he did an awkward slow run with his family at Disneyland. Published August 14, 2025
U.N. officials skim U.S. aid intended for Afghanistan, collude in bribe scheme with Taliban
Corrupt U.N. officials in Afghanistan have stolen U.S. assistance by demanding bribes to allow the aid money to flow, an American inspector general charged. Published August 13, 2025
Mexican cartels turn to timeshare fraud, target Americans with fake offers
Your timeshare in Mexico may actually be helping prop up that country's violent drug cartels, the U.S. government said Wednesday, warning Americans to think twice before buying south of the border. Published August 13, 2025
Trump tallies third straight month of no catch-and-release at the border
Homeland Security notched its third month in a row where it didn't catch and release a single illegal immigrant at the border, the department said Tuesday, celebrating new record-breaking achievements. Published August 12, 2025
Trump Justice Dept. reaches agreement barring race-based admissions at West Point, Air Force Academy
The Justice Department announced a settlement Tuesday that promises the Military Academy at West Point and the Air Force Academy will stop using race-based admissions preferences and instead pick future students "exclusively on merit." Published August 12, 2025
Rushing for the exit: Illegal immigrant population down 1.6 million under Trump crackdown
President Trump is booting out illegal immigrants faster than President Biden added them, according to the latest Census Bureau numbers that show an unprecedented drop in the number of immigrants living in the U.S. Published August 12, 2025
Judge orders Trump to restore funding to National Endowment for Democracy
A federal judge ordered the administration Monday to turn back on the pipeline of money to the National Endowment for Democracy, saying President Trump doesn't have the power to override Congress' spending decisions. Published August 11, 2025
Texas standoff enters second week as Democrats thwart GOP on new redistricting map
California Gov. Gavin Newsom called on President Trump to accept a ceasefire in the fight over redrawing congressional lines, vowing Monday to make the GOP pay if Texas follows through on the president's plans. Published August 11, 2025
Texas launches full legal assault on runaway Democrats blocking redistricting
Texas Republican officials have asked California to help arrest the Democratic lawmakers who fled to the West Coast last week, seeking to scuttle GOP plans to pad their numbers in the U.S. House by redrawing the Texas congressional map. Published August 10, 2025
Art and absurdity of redrawing congressional lines — and then crossing them
We've come a long way from the country's first-ever gerrymander, which involved two future presidents vying to get elected to the first Congress. Published August 10, 2025
Texas judge blocks Beto O’Rourke from helping runaway Democrats
A Texas judge issued a restraining order Friday blocking former Rep. Beto O'Rourke from using his political group to help state Democratic lawmakers remain on the lam. Published August 8, 2025
Gov. Newsom vows to ‘nullify’ Texas with 5 more Democratic seats in California
California Gov. Gavin Newsom promised retaliation against Republicans if Texas follows through on redrawing its congressional map, saying he'll ask voters to approve a new map that would counter GOP gains with five new Democratic seats in his own state. Published August 8, 2025
Paxton asks Texas Supreme Court to strip absent Democratic lawmakers of their seats
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked his state's Supreme Court to boot some Texas Democrat "cowards" out of their legislative seats after they failed to show up for business Friday, breaking an unofficial deadline. Published August 8, 2025
Texas Democrats face deadline to return or risk expulsion, arrest
Democrats in the Texas Legislature are staring at a Friday deadline for returning or facing consequences that Republicans say could include arrest or ouster from their statehouse seats. Published August 8, 2025
Appeals court slaps down Judge Boasberg’s contempt proceedings against Trump officials
A federal appeals court has delivered a reprimand to Judge James Boasberg, telling him he's gone too far in his effort to pursue criminal charges against Trump administration figures who he says intentionally defied his orders to bring back three planeloads of unauthorized immigrants earlier this year. Published August 8, 2025
Trump asks Supreme Court to approve ICE’s arrests in Los Angeles
The Trump Justice Department sparked the next major legal battle over his deportation policies Thursday, rushing to the Supreme Court to ask the justices to give a preliminary OK to Homeland Security's aggressive push to arrest illegal immigrants in Los Angeles. Published August 7, 2025
Judge halts new construction at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ migrant detention camp amid ecological concerns
A federal judge ordered the government Thursday to shut down any new construction at "Alligator Alcatraz," Florida's new migrant detention camp -- but allowed it to keep current operations going. Published August 7, 2025
Oklahoma moves to cancel in-state tuition for illegal immigrants after DOJ prod
Oklahoma and the Trump Justice Department have reached a deal to overturn the state's law that has allowed illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates. Published August 7, 2025
Trump orders work on new census that will not include those in U.S. illegally
President Trump announced Thursday that he has ordered the Department of Commerce to create a census that will exclude anyone illegally in the U.S. Published August 7, 2025
Immigration enforcement agency scraps age limits, reports 80,000 applications in one week
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said that the country's chief deportation force is scratching its age cap and will now accept recruits of all ages, as it seeks to hire up for President Trump's mass deportation push. Published August 6, 2025
